-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The crew members of a North Korean freighter regained control of their ship from pirates who hijacked the vessel off Somalia , but not without a deadly fight , the U.S. Navy reported Tuesday .

The USS James E. Williams ordered pirates to give up their weapons , the Navy says .

When the battle aboard the Dai Hong Dan was over , two pirates were dead and five were captured , the Navy said .

Three wounded crew members from the cargo ship were being treated aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams .

The captured pirates were being held aboard the North Korean vessel , the Navy said .

The bandits had seized the ship 's bridge , while the crew kept control of the steering gear and engines , the Navy said .

The Koreans moved against the attackers after the Williams -- responding to reports of the hijacking -- ordered the pirates to give up their weapons , according to the Navy .

When the crew members stormed the bridge , the deadly battle began . After the crew regained control , Navy sailors boarded the Dai Hong Dan to help with the injured .

North Korea and the United States have no diplomatic relations . Watch why the U.S. helped the North Koreans ''

The incident took place about 70 miles northeast of the Somali capital , Mogadishu , the Navy said .

It is the second incident of piracy reported in recent days . A second U.S. Navy destroyer was searching waters off Somalia for pirates who hijacked a Japanese-owned ship , military officials said .

Over the weekend , gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the Panamanian-flagged Golden Nori off the Socotra archipelago near the Horn of Africa , said Andrew Mwangura , a spokesman for the Kenyan-based Seafarers ' Assistance Program .

The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke has been pursuing the pirates after entering Somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in Mogadishu , U.S. officials said Monday . In recent years , warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates .

Two military officials familiar with the details confirmed the ongoing operation .

The Navy 's pursuit of the pirates began Sunday night when the Golden Nori radioed for help . The Burke 's sister ship , the USS Porter , opened fire and sank the pirate skiffs tied to the Golden Nori 's stern before the Burke took over shadowing the hijacked vessel .

When the shots were fired , it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene . U.S. military officials indicate there is a great deal of concern about the cargo because it is so sensitive .

Benzene , which U.S. authorities have declared a known human carcinogen , is used as a solvent and to make plastics and synthetic fabrics .

Four other ships in the region remain in pirate hands , the Navy said .

U.S. and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for years in an effort to crack down on piracy off Somalia , where a U.N.-backed transitional government is struggling to restore order after 15 years of near-anarchy . See how piracy is worse than 2006 ''

On Monday , the head of the transitional government resigned as his administration -- backed by Ethiopian troops -- battled insurgents from the Islamic movement that seized control of Mogadishu in 2006 .

Hospital officials reported 30 dead in three days of clashes on the city 's south side .

In June , the ship USS Carter Hall fired warning shots in an attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia , but the American vessel turned away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters .

In May , a U.S. Navy advisory warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast . But the U.S. Maritime Administration said pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore . See the warning area ''

The pirates often are armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets , according to a recent warning from the agency .

`` To date , vessels that increase speed and take evasive maneuvers avoid boarding , while those that slow down are boarded , taken to the Somali coastline and released after successful ransom payment , often after protracted negotiations of as much as 11 weeks , '' the warning advised .

The agency issued a new warning to sailors in the Gulf of Aden , between Somalia and Yemen , after Sunday 's hijacking . E-mail to a friend

CNN correspondents Barbara Starr at the Pentagon and Christian Purefoy in Nairobi contributed to this report .

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North Korean crew recaptures hijacked vessel

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Navy says two pirates killed , five captured ; three from crew injured

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USS Arleigh Burke enters Somali territorial waters to pursue other pirates

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Pirates aboard hijacked Golden Nori carrying highly flammable benzene